The Municipality of Esposende awarded 35 Scholarships to Higher Education students, worth 750 euros each, totaling a municipal investment of 26,250 euros. This value represents an increase of 150 euros compared to the previous edition. The measure is part of the municipality's social action policy and aims to guarantee equal access to higher education for students in a more difficult economic situation.
37 applications were received, all considered eligible, of which 35 students completed the civic and community service component required by the regulation. The program, created in 2004, has been growing progressively: in the first year it supported 25 young people with an investment of 18,750 euros. The scholarship holders are between 19 and 23 years old, mostly women, and attend mainly degrees at institutions such as the University of Minho, University of Coimbra and Polytechnic Institute of Porto.
In return, the scholarship holders are required to collaborate in municipal services for 154 hours, distributed over 22 working days. The Cultural area was the most sought after, followed by the Administrative and Social areas. This experience allows students to acquire skills in a real work context and learn about the functioning of the municipality.
The municipality also plans to update the regulation, following the evolution of higher education and the integration of CTeSP, in order to keep the support adjusted to the current needs of students.
